XXII. Ordinatio domini Rogeri de Northburgh, Couentrensis et Lichfeldeusis episcopi, de moderatione* vicarie de Whalleye nobis facta.

NIUERSIS sanete matris ecclesio filijs presentes literas inspecturis, Rogerus pmissione diuina Couentr. et Lichef. episcopus salutem in amplexib} saluatoris. No- ueritis quod cum in visitatione nostra quam in decanatu de Blak., Archidiaconatus Cestrie, anno dñi m.ccc. tricesimo exercuimus com- pertum extitisset quod vicarius ecclesie de Whall. dicti decauatus sub colore ordinationis sue pcipit et pcepit de obuentionib} dicte ecclesie immoderatam quantitatem in tantum quod residuum obuentionum dicte ecclesie non sufficit ad onera que religiosi viri Abbas et conuentus

* This was a most unfavourable change for the vicar from the endowment by Bishop Langton, ante, p. 215. He ordained the endowment of the vicarage to be a competent manse and thirty acres of land, housebote and haybote, and common of pasture; the altarage of Whalley and its chapels, with the exception of Altham, and the demesne lands of Burnley and Churche; and only charged the vicar with one-third of the extraordinary, and all the ordinary expenses. This, on the con trary, confines the endowment to a competent manse and a yard within the close of the monastery, a yearly stipend of sixty-six marks, hay sufficient for one horse, and four quarters of oats; and decrees that he should not only defray all the ordinary expenses of Whalley, Altham, aud the other chapels, and find a priest and provide bread and wine for each chapel; but, in addition, should pay the synodals and the visitation money, and distribute 13s. 4d. yearly, at Michaelmas, as a pittance at the monastery. No wonder that a succeeding vicar should quote with ill dissembled glee the character given by (¡odwyn of Bishop Northburgh, "sedit annos 38, nee tamen in tam diuturno temporis spatio aliquid perpetrauit memoria dignum, (quod saltem ad meam notitiam peruenerit,) nisi forte hoc ab illo recte factum dicamus,— quod mortuus est."

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de Whall. dictam ecclesiam in usus pprios obtinentes iuxta inten- tionem fundatoris eiusdem domus tenentur supportare et maxime onera imposita p ipsum fundatorem dicte domus in fundatione et in concessione iuris patronatus ecclesie predicte dictis religiosis facte repetita. Nos ipsum vicarium ad respondendum, compertis hijs, ac etiam Abbatem prefate domus, si sua videretur expedire, ad certos diem et locum fecimus ad iudicium euocari. Quib} iuxta formam vocationis huius psonaliter coram commissario nostro in hac parte speciali comperentib}, premissa comperta eis exponi fecimus, ut superius est narratum. Idemq. vicarius coram dicto commissario nostro fatebatur premissa sibi exposita p omnia continere veritatem. Sicq. idem commissarius noster super confessatis hiis volens certiorari p informatione in hac parte pleniori sup veritate compertorum pre- dictorum inquirend. fore decreuit, presentib} Abbati et vicario memoratis. Pendenteq. inquisitione hac Abbas nomine suo psonali ter, et Conuentus p pcuratorem sufficieuter in hac parte constitutum, ac vicarius coram nobis psonaliter comperentes, nostre ordinationi •de nouo faciendo in hac parte se pure et simpliciter submiserunt. Dictiq. Abbas et vicarius psonaliter ac conuentus p pcuratorem suum predictum, tactis p eosdem sacrosanctis evangelijs, iuramentum presti- terunt corporale, se ordinationem in hac parte p nos faciendam in omnib} et p omnia de cetero fideliter custodire. Nos attendentos quod augmentatio siue diminutio dicte vicario episcopo Couentr. et Lich., qui p tempore fuerit, in prima ipsius ordinatione ppter incertitudinem onerum vicarijs futuris incumbentiuim extitit reseruata, put in literis autenticis bone memorie Walteri predecessoris nostris plenius vidimus contineri. Considerantesq. quod ipsa domus de Whalleye in loco sterili est situata, ac p concursus hospitum non modicum oneratur, quodq. ijdem Religiosi ad sustentationem viginti monachorum iuxta dispositionem fundatoris eorum, ratione appropriations dicte ecclesie eis facte, ultra numerum quem habere solebat apud Stanlawe, a quo loco fuerant translati, onerati existunt, ac quod Abbathia sua de nouo

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construere inceperunt, non sine magna sarcina expensarum. Cupien- tesq. eorum indigentie subuenire, et ipsius domus fundatoris piam in hac parte intentionem quatenus cum Deo possumus adimplere. Habito tractatu cum consilio nostro saniori sup ipsa vicaria et per- ceptione vicarij eiusdem, qui pro tempore fuerit, vocatis vocandis, sic duximus ordinand., videl. quod vicarius dicte ecclesie, qui p tempore merit, habeat de cetero competens mansum, cum area infra septa monastery antedicti, sumptib} ipsorum Abbatis et conuentus con- struenda, prima vice tantum ibidem ppetuo moraturus. Percipiat etiam singulis annis sexaginta et sex marcas tam de prefatis religiosis in pecunia numerata pcipiendas in festis sancti Michaelis et Pasche, p equales portiones. Ad quarum solutionem eosdem religiosos compelli posse p nos et successores nostros episcopos ordinamus. Percipiat etiam annuatim ab eisdem fenum sufficiens p uno equo, et quatuor quarteria auenarum. Omnia vero onera ordinaria eidem ecclesie et capelle de Aluetham ac ceteris capellis, ab eadem ecclesia dependentib}, incumbentia, subeat vicarius antedictus. Insuper idem vicarius in qualiter capella unum sacerdotem, vinum et panem, senagia et pcura- tiones consuetas, singulis annis sumptib} ppriis inueniet, una cum solution»; xiij. solidorum et iiij. denariorum conuentui dicte domus p pitantia* singulis annis in crastino sancti Michaelis p ipsum vicarium

* The author of the interesting life of our countryman St. Stephen, (Harding,) the founder of the Cistercian order, points out the difference between the general and the pittance. "The Cluniacs," he says, divided their messes into two parts, one called the generale, which was allowed by the rule, another was pitantia, and beyond it. The regular cooks had nothing to do with the pittance, which was always distributed by the cellarer, the theory being that it was benevolently allowed beside the rule; again, it was never blessed. The general was given sepa rately to each monk; the pittance was in one dish between two brethren. The common food of the brethren were beans and other vegetables ; minute directions are given "that the beans be stirred from the bottom with a spoon," lest they be scorched. Also they are to be boiled with grease, and one of the cooks, it is specially provided, may taste the water of the beans, that he may prove if they be

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faciend. Quo die de consensu nostro et religiosorum predictonim nobis vite cursu agentib} p nostra salute officium solempne in dicta ecclesia conuentuali volumus celebrari, et cum ab onere car n is exui nos contigerit, eodem die nostrum anniuersarium statuimus obseruari. Quo ad extraordinaria vero onera prefatam ecclesiam et capellas ab eadem dependentes qualitercuncq. contingentia prefatos religiosos de cetero volumus onerari. Idemq. vicarius nomine suo et vicarie sue predicte, prime ordinationi dicte vicarie eiusq. effectui quatenus i s tarn nostram ordinationem excedit, aut eidem in aliquo contrariatur, ex presse et ex certa scientia renunciauit. In quorum omnium testimo-nium sigillum nostrum presentib} duximus apponendum. Dat. apud Mamcestr. xij. kalend. Aprilis anno dñi m°ccc° tricesimo et conse- crationis nostre nono.